Hey everyone, I wanted to review the contribution to GDP provided by Indians living abroad for an exploratory comparison against local sectors. Please note that the data sources are spaced out a bit from 2024-2026, and does not take the current currency spike into account.  The total number of people abroad are counted as NRIs, which MEA states at 18.5M people. Accounting for PIOs who gave up citizenship, the number may reach 30M, but remittances are lower from that subgroup.

**On a per-person basis, the diaspora's remittance is higher than GDP contribution per citizen in any city**

Using UN emigrant count and IOM's 2024 remittance data, each overseas Indian remits more per year on average than the annual per-capita income of a resident of Delhi — India's highest earning city. It's worth noting this isn't income vs income — the remittance figure is what gets sent home after the emigrant has already paid for their life abroad- taxes/quality of life etc.

**Compared to individual states, NRIs abroad would be the 8th largest contributor to GDP after Rajasthan**

Quite interesting, given the much smaller size of the population abroad. With the currency falling, this could get exacerbated further.

  
**Stuff I'd like to research later**

* Seeing how remiitance fees impact this figure. Remittance fees can be upwards of 3%, which is staggering
   * Dive a bit deeper to see how a nationalized remittance platform by the government of india could save Billions
* Trying to project how a year on year INR-USD fall of about 4% will push the remittance contribution further
* Probably really really hard to track but how the wave of emigration in the last few years will impact these values



**Key figures**

* Total remittances to India (2024): $137.7B
* Indian emigrants abroad (UN definition, 2024): 18.5M
* Remittances as % of India's GDP: 3.5%
* Remittance per emigrant per year: \~$7,444

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**Methodology**

The emigrant count used here follows the strict UN definition — individuals who relocated abroad for 12+ months — which excludes multigenerational diaspora. Using the broader MEA figure would roughly halve the per-person remittance figure, though it would still compare favorably to top city incomes. State GDP shares are the most recently published official data; FY 2024-25 state-level breakdowns have not yet been released.

**Sources**

* [IOM World Migration Report 2026](https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int)
* [World Bank — Personal remittances received, India](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT?locations=IN)
* [UN DESA International Migrant Stock 2024](https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/international-migrant-stock)
* [MoSPI / StatisticsTimes — State GDP shares FY 2023-24](https://statisticstimes.com/economy/india/indian-states-gdp.php)
* [Ministry of External Affairs — Population of Overseas Indians](https://www.mea.gov.in/population-of-overseas-indians.htm)
*  RBI 6th Round India Remittances Survey (2023-24). Figures are share of total inward remittances. Other GCC includes Qatar, Oman, Bahrain. Dollar values based on $137.7B total (IOM 2024)

Comparative analysis on GDP contribution by remmitances by NRIs and the Indian diaspora abroad vs local sectors and states [OC]